ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – A company official confirmed last Thursday that Triumph Foods continues to keep its proposed hog-processing plant to be built near Barstow, Ill., on hold, according to the Quad City Times. Details of what has transpired in recent months appear to differ.

Although the company said the project has remained on hold for years, an East Moline city official said the company was eager to restart the project a few months ago, only to back off those plans again, the report relayed.

In 2005, St. Joseph, Mo.-based Triumph Foods first proposed the plant to be built near 172nd Street North and Barstow Road. Two years later, it bought the property, and the land was annexed into the city of East Moline. But then in part due to the economy, the company put the project on hold.

In early 2012, the East Moline City Council said it must come to terms with the company on a new agreement in order for the processor to build a plant that is expected to provide 2,500 jobs and millions in revenue for the city. The council at that time voted to request that Kane, McKenna and Associates Inc., a Chicago-based consulting firm, provide information about what the company would charge to aid in the negotiations with Triumph.

William Phares, East Moline city attorney, said at the time he asked the council to seek help from the firm because negotiations are becoming so complicated that expert help was required. Earlier this week, Triumph put the project on hold again, said City Administrator Cole O’Donnell. However, Patt Lilly, Triumph’s chief administrative officer, said last week that this project was never removed from “hold” status plus there also is no timeframe when it might move forward again.